All Grown Up
by LovelyInspiration
Summary: Donald never thought he'd see the day his three little students would have protégés of their own. But, they weren't little anymore… They were all grown up.


**Is anyone getting emotional over the fact that the Lab Rats are mentors now? Looking back at season one episodes, I'm blown away. In the blink of an eye, they were independent, mature (somewhat), brave bionic heroes. Awww :') You could say I kind of miss the days when they didn't know left from right. They were just so innocent and adorable! Don't get me wrong; I admire their progress and efficiency. Everything just changed kind of rapidly - the new lab, their bionic secret being revealed, and now the Academy. So, to heal my feels, I came up with this story** **.**

 **Hopefully if any of you felt the same way, this story will perk you up! It takes place in Season 4. I also tried to throw in some humor for comic relief. Enjoy!**

 **I do not own Lab Rats.**

* * *

Donald anxiously checked his watch for the fifth time. This 50 million dollar hydro-loop could get him from California's coast to the Academy in minutes, but it still wasn't fast enough for the inventor. Leaving four destructive teenagers in charge of his billion dollar school didn't exactly comfort him.

Donald had spent the past month on the mainland with Tasha. His wife had been begging him to return. According to her, if he didn't do something about "that deranged emoticon," she was going to handle it herself. He knew what that meant. So, Donald went home to rescue Tasha from Eddy. It was great; they had nice, peaceful, home-security-free dinners, they went to the beach, and they took a nighttime helicopter ride over Mission Creek.

But, after the festivities were through, Donald was itching to do something fun - work. Nothing brought the inventor more pleasure than working. Well, except making money. And there wasn't anywhere else he could do more work than the Academy. So, he was quite restless waiting to return. He imagined the kids missed him. They must have; he was gone a whole month! Just think; what if they planned a welcome back party for him? What if they made a cake, hung banners, and purchased confetti cannons? Nothing said "welcome back" like confetti!

Donald grew giddy at the thought of his arrival party. He sure enjoyed the prospect of being missed and cherished. He bet the kids simply didn't know what to do without him. Adam, Bree, and Chase may have been mentors now, but no one could top his teaching skills. After all, he mentored the mentors. He taught them everything they knew. They wouldn't have been bionic heroes _or_ teachers if not for Donald.

Suddenly, the hydro-loop came to a stop. Donald snapped back to reality and unbuckled his seatbelt. As the doors slowly slid open, his mind raced with party possibilities. A crack of light formed as the doors slid back. They opened more… more… more… and there was… nothing?

The full scene of the Academy was revealed to Donald. Students mulled about, people conversed, and the mentors were stationed at the cyber desk. However, there were no signs of a party. There was no confetti, no cake, no streamers, no banners, not even a balloon. The inventor frowned.

Stepping out of the hydro-loop, he said, "Uh, hello? Anyone want to acknowledge me?"

Leo turned from a control panel. "Oh, hey, Big D," he spoke unimpressed.

"'Hey'? That's all I get? I've been gone for a whole month, and all I get is a 'hey'?" The billionaire asked, approaching his children.

"Wait, you went somewhere?" Adam wondered.

Donald had a baffled look. "Yes! Why do you think you haven't seen me?"

"I don't know. I was just trying not to look a gift horse in the mouth."

Chase stopped typing, "We're glad to have you back, Mr. Davenport. How was your time on the mainland?"

"Well, finally someone cares about me," Donald said gesticulating. "It was nice. Tasha and I had a great time. We went to dinner, rode in the helicopter…"

Donald began itemizing activities. However, the youngest bionic's eyes were glued to the cyber desk. The most he got in response from Chase was a mindless "uh-huh" every now and then.

Finally, Donald stopped rambling. "Are you even listening?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Mr. Davenport. I'm trying to finish this lesson plan for my next class," Chase explained. His eyes finally lifted from the screen to his father-figure.

Donald sighed, "Just as well. I have work to do around here, anyway. The capsule dorms need fixing."

"Don't worry, Mr. Davenport. I took care of it," Adam said.

Donald was thrown off guard. "Oh. Well then, I'll organize the equipment room."

"Chase took care of that last week," Leo stated.

"Then I'll help Perry update the security office."

"Leo did that yesterday," Bree informed him.

Donald turned to his stepson in disbelief. " _You voluntarily helped Perry?_ "

"No. It was my punishment for skipping training the other day," Leo pouted. "Worst two hours of my life."

"Well, at the _least_ I can clean up the cafeteria." At this point, he was desperate.

"Bree did that this morning," Chase said.

"In two point five seconds," she added with an accomplished smile.

Donald sighed exasperatedly, "What is there for me to do, then?"

"Nothing actually," Chase began, "We have everything under control. Take a break; you deserve it, Mr. Davenport." Chase patted him on the shoulder.

A bell began ringing throughout the school, signifying the beginning of class. Students started to make their way into the training area.

"That's our queue," Bree said. "See you after class, Mr. Davenport."

With that, all three mentors headed into the training area. Donald hung back with a solemn expression. Take a break? But, he just returned from a _month long_ break. He didn't want to relax anymore; he wanted to work. Donald could have stayed in Mission Creek to relax.

No one seemed to need him here, contrary to his fantasies. Adam, Bree, Chase, and even _Leo_ were handling things perfectly. They didn't actually need his guidance to run the place. They functioned without his leadership. They were their own bosses. Heck, Adam didn't even know Donald was gone!

 _How did they become so self sufficient?_ He wondered. _I was sure there was more I had to teach them. But, they managed well on their own - like mature adults. The mature adults I didn't realize they were…_

Leo too was going to join his comrades for class, but he noticed the billionaire's depressed face.

"What's wrong, Big D?"

Donald slowly approached the training room entrance. He leaned against the archway.

"Leo, be honest. Does it seem like Adam, Bree, and Chase still need me?"

"They're always gonna need you, Big D. We all will. What would make you think otherwise?"

"Well, for starters, no one missed me while I was gone. No one cared to call and check in or even throw me a 'welcome back' party."

"Don't take that personally. We just enjoy when you're not around," Leo beamed with a grin. Donald glared back at his son. Leo walked over to him.

"But, seriously, I'll bet they were just busy. One hundred bionic super humans aren't easy to train."

"That's my point, Leo. It isn't an easy job, but they held down the fort pretty well without me. If they can do my job for me, what do I have left to teach them?"

Leo became quiet. Donald continued, "I mean, look at Adam over there."

In the far left corner of the room, Adam was demonstrating a proper punch on a training dummy. His group of students watched intently. Afterwards, Adam invited a student up to replicate his action. The student succeeded, and Adam high-fived his protégé with a proud smile.

Donald suddenly felt nostalgic. "That used to be us, Leo - back when Adam was my student. I'll never forget the first time I taught him to properly use his super strength…"

 _Years of training finally lead up to this moment. Before now, Adam had only been lifting weights. That was quite a feat for a three-year-old, but it wouldn't be extremely useful on missions. True super strength was determined by lifting more… abnormal things. A three-year-old lifting a desk_ was _abnormal. Donald bogged down the desk with his heaviest inventions. Now, the moment of truth would come._

" _Misser Dafenport, I'm nervous. What if I can't lift it?" Little Adam asked with worry._

" _You will be able to, Adam. Just remember these two things: keep a strong center of gravity and a blank mind," Donald explained._

" _What if tat doesn't work or the desk is too heafy or… or…"_

" _Adam," Donald interrupted, "You can do this. I believe in you."_

" _You do?" Adam beamed, looking up at Donald with hopeful eyes._

" _Of course. Now, make me proud."_

 _Adam smiled and turned to the desk. He took a deep breath. "Center of gwafity, blank mind…"_

 _Adam approached the desk and got a good grip on one of the legs. Placing his feet a good distance away from each other, Adam lifted. The next thing Donald knew, his desk was rising higher and higher into the air. He stood back in awe; his little apprentice was lifting hundreds of pounds for the first time. Finally, the desk's ascension stopped. Adam's short arms had reached upward as far as they could go. The toddler grinned._

" _Misser Dafenport, I did it! I did it!" he cheered, jumping up and down. In his excitement, the young boy accidentally let go of the desk; it fell to the ground with a loud thump. The expensive inventions atop the desk where broken._

 _Adam stopped celebrating. "Oops… Sowwy Misser Dafenport. I guess I can't do it…"_

" _Are you kidding? Adam, that was incredible!" The inventor exclaimed._

 _The boy perked up. Just as quickly, however, he frowned again. "But, what about your infentons?" He pointed to the pile of mangled metal and glass._

" _I don't care about those, Adee. Those are just material objects that can be rebuilt. You know what I have that's better than those?"_

 _Adam looked curiously. "What?"_

" _You," Donald smiled. Adam smiled, too, and went charging up to Donald. He knelt down just in time to capture the toddler in a heartwarming hug._

"Oh, sure. But when I break your inventions, I get in trouble!" Leo exclaimed.

"That's because you're 16, not three. Also, you know better and,most unbelievably, you break things _without_ super strength," Donald replied pointedly. Leo just pouted again.

" _Anyway_ ," Leo stressed, "You were saying?"

"I was saying: Adam would never look to me for advice, anymore."

"Maybe not, but there's still Bree," Leo said cheerily.

Donald turned to look at Bree. She was in the middle of the training area. At least, Donald thought she was. The most he saw was a big blurry tornado _presumed_ to be the female bionic. Once the dizzying sight stopped, Bree came into focus. Her group stared in awe of her swift maneuver. After talking a bit more, Bree was off - speeding around the room like a reckless ping-pong ball.

"I don't know, Leo. Bree's grown a lot, too. Believe it or not, she used to be pretty clumsy…"

 _The elevator doors slid open. Donald stepped out and into the lab. As usual, he was here to check on the kids. If he didn't come down every hour on the hour, someone would end up hurt. As he walked in, Donald spotted Adam and Chase together in the middle of the floor. They were doing what all young boys do – playing with toy cars and trucks. He stopped for a moment to observe them._

 _Donald smiled; the scene of an older and younger brother playing together was adorable. Donald was amazed; the simple action of pushing a plastic car back and forth kept the boys entertained and content for hours. They didn't need fancy gadgets or technology to be satisfied. Adam and Chase went about the day without a care in the world – their joy dependent only on how much time they spent leisurely playing with toys._

 _The sound effects came courtesy of their vocal chords, and for a time, the toddlers were immersed in fantasy and dream. They imagined themselves piloting the handheld fire trucks and squad cars. Their only responsibilities were to themselves – to be persuaded by optimism and to make every moment utterly enjoyable._

 _Childhood truly was easy, straightforward, and honest. It was a breath of fresh air to Donald. Such transparency couldn't be found in the world of adults. To a grownup, such happiness was unfathomable. The actuality of acquiring delight to that extent was stifled by reality – something only the mature had to face. The blissful ignorance of youth was what sheltered and preserved them in good spirits._

 _Then, a disturbing thought dawned on Donald. "Adam, Chase, where's your sister?"_

 _The boys looked up from their play. "Beebee's practicing her super speed," Chase answered. "She ran out a couple of minutes ago."_

 _Donald was about to ask another question when the fast blur that was his little girl appeared. Bree stopped right in front of him with a huge grin on her face._

" _Mr. Davenport, I finally mastered my speed!" she shrieked. "I ran through the entire lab and didn't trip or run into anything!"_

" _That's wonderful, Bree. You're making progress. Just don't overdue yourself. You've only been speeding for three years. Accidents can still happen; I don't want you getting hurt."_

" _Don't worry, Mr. Davenport. A four year old like me can handle my own super speed," Bree announced with stubborn pride. "I even learned a trick. Watch!"_

 _In a flash, Bree was off and running again. She bounced about the lab like a spinning top - left, right, backwards, forwards. Donald had to admit; he was impressed with Bree's skills. She learned to do this all in one day. Pretty soon, she'd be speeding to New Jersey! Donald continued to watch Bree with fascination as she ran to and fro._

 _Then as she was crossing the lab, Bree tripped over a rogue miniature car. The young girl flipped and went tumbling to the floor. She landed on her side, a few feet away from her brothers' toy._

" _Bree!" Donald exclaimed. He, as well as Bree's siblings, came rushing to her side. Donald knelt down next to her as she sat up. He could see the tears forming in her eyes._

" _Are you okay, Beebee?" Adam asked with concern._

 _Bree sniffled, "N-N-N-No. I, I-"_

" _Bree, calm down," Donald quieted, "Just tell me what hurts."_

 _Bree was well into sobs by now. All she could manage was to point at her right ankle. Donald turned his attention to her ankle while Adam and Chase snuggled close to their sister to comfort her. Bree's ankle was red and swollen – both marks that it was sprained. Donald sighed._

" _It looks like you sprained your ankle, Bree," Donald concluded._

" _Sp-sprained?" Bree repeated through weeps, "What's that mean?"_

" _A sprained ankle is a common medical condition where one or more of the ligaments of the ankle is torn or partially torn_ _. A sprained ankle causes swelling, pain, and limited range of motion," Chase rambled._

" _Huh?" Adam asked, cocking his eyebrow._

" _Basically, you just twisted your ankle," Donald simplified._

 _Bree looked up at him with scared eyes, "Can you fix it?"_

" _Of course, Bree. You'll be up and running – or speeding – again in no time. I'll take care of you."_

" _Boys," Donald turned to Adam and Chase, "Can you go get some bandages and an ice pack for your sister?"_

 _Adam and Chase immediately complied. Donald hoisted Bree onto his lap, trying his best to avoid her ankle. She snuggled into his chest._

" _Mr. Davenport?" Bree called._

 _Donald glanced down. "Yes, Bree?"_

" _I'm sorry. I should have listened to you. I'm not that good at super speeding…"_

" _Hey, that's not true. Sure, you tripped on accident, but you were doing great for a while!"_

 _Bree looked up in surprise. "Really?"_

" _Yea! You learned how to run around the lab in just a day. That's not something I taught you. You taught yourself."_

 _Bree smiled. "I guess I did, didn't I?"_

" _You sure did! This is a minor setback. In a couple weeks tops, you'll be up and training again. Mistakes happen, Bree. You just have to learn from them."_

" _Thanks, Mr. Davenport." Bree burrowed deeper into his hold._

 _Just then, Adam and Chase returned with the sought after items. Adam had the ice and Chase had the bandages. They placed both next to Donald._

" _Thanks, guys," Donald smiled. He took the gauze and proceeded to wrap Bree's leg. Every so often she would flinch or whimper in pain, but Donald tried to be gentle._

" _Sorry, Beebee. I'm almost done. You're doing well."_

 _Finally, Bree's ankle was properly wrapped._

" _Is Bree gonna be okay?" Adam inquired. Donald was surprised; Adam only called Bree by her name when he was really scared or serious._

" _She'll be fine, Adam. No need to worry."_

"Wow, that really happened?" Leo asked in amazement.

"Yea," Donald replied nostalgically. "Back when she still needed me."

"Well… there's still Chase! He's the youngest; that's got to make him needier!"

The tech mogul looked to Chase. At first, he was merely lecturing his class. But, in one fluid motion, Chase surrounded himself in a force field. The blue orb enveloped his body. Then, Chase shrank it down to a ball that perfectly fit in his hands. The youngest bionic hurled the electric sphere at a nearby practice dummy; the molded plastic fell backwards with a _thump._ Chase looked to the class expectantly. Taking the hint, they began to clap. Chase flashed a proud smile, his stance confident.

Donald smiled softly. "Chase has changed so much. You know, there was a time when 'The Smartest Guy in the World' over there was pretty dependent. He used to rely on me for a lot. Chase didn't always have that arrogant, know-it-all attitude."

"Really?!" Leo exclaimed, perhaps too cheerfully. "Sounds promising… Tell me more!"

Donald chuckled, "Well, this one night, Chase got freaked by a nightmare. That's a night I'll never forget…"

 _Donald rushed down to the lab. He was awoken by what seemed to be panicked screams. He didn't know why, and he didn't know from whom it came. But midnight screams weren't good things. Besides, it didn't matter. This was Adam, Bree, and Chase, his most precious possessions. He didn't even bother to take the elevator; it would've taken too long. So, he ran down the stairs and through the hallway, instead._

 _As he got closer, the sound of steady crying filled his ears. Gentle words and soothing comments could also be heard. When he arrived at the entrance, he saw Adam and Bree gathered by Chase's capsule. In between the two eldest children was Chase – poor, terrified, crying Chase. Donald quickly approached the bionic siblings._

" _Guys, what happened? I heard a scream," he said, kneeling by their sides to be at eye level._

" _That was Chasey," Bree started with worry, "He woke us up with his screams. Then we looked over and saw he was crying."_

" _I wonder what scared him."_

" _He hasn't told us," Adam replied. "He's been crying the whole time. We can't get him to calm down."_

 _Donald slowly approached Chase. He didn't want to startle him with sudden movements or loud noises._

" _Chase?" he spoke softly. "What's wrong, Buddy?"_

 _Without warning, Chase pounced on Donald. He wrapped his little arms around Donald's neck the best he could and buried his head into the adult's shoulder. Donald held Chase in his lap but didn't say anything. Chase just continued to sob, unmoving. Donald wrapped his arms around the hysteric toddler and spoke comfortingly._

" _Shh… Shh… It's okay, Chase. It's okay. I'm here, Buddy. You're safe…" he mumbled over and over. Eventually, Donald started rocking back and forth to calm the young boy._

 _After a few minutes of watching and waiting, Adam and Bree retreated to their capsules. Donald had the situation under control, and there was nothing more for them to do. Chase's whimpers echoed off the walls. It was the only noise to be heard in the lab. Donald just waited patiently for Chase to calm himself; the boy would talk when he was ready._

 _Chase's tears finally slowed to occasional sobs, and Donald thought that was the right moment to inquire._

" _Chase," he whispered, "Are you ready to tell me what happened?"_

" _I-I had a nightmare," Chase finally spoke._

" _Oh, I'm sorry, Chasey. Do you want to tell me what it was about?"_

 _Chase sniffled. "I don't want to say everything. It was scary. But s-someone tried to take me away from you… and from Adee and Beebee. I-I didn't want to go. Mr. Davenport, I don't want that to happen!" Chase began to cry again._

" _It won't, Chase. No one's going to take you or Adee or Beebee away from me. I'll always protect you," Donald spoke reassuringly._

" _P-promise?" Chase stuttered, looking Donald in the eyes._

" _Promise."_

"Now look at Chase… He has the confidence to shamelessly expect unnecessary praise from his class," Donald stated.

The inventor took one last overview of his kids. They weren't kids anymore.

He sighed. "Leo, those days are gone. I guess I just thought they'd depend on me for a while longer. Or, I at least hoped."

"Where did all this come from, Big D? I didn't think you cared whether or not they needed you. Isn't your job as a teacher to _make_ them independent?" Leo questioned.

Donald sighed. "Well, yea, but… in the blink of an eye, they were grown up and mature. It caught me off guard. I miss the days when they needed me, when I was a source of protection, guidance, and security."

Leo gave his stepfather a sad smile. Donald moved over to the cyber desk. Leo followed him.

"Well, if it helps," he started, "I still need you, Big D."

Donald smiled. "Thank you, Leo."

Adam, Bree, and Chase then walked up behind them.

"Mr. Davenport, you're not busy, are you?" Bree asked. Donald detected an odd sense of worry in her voice.

"Never too busy for you three. What's up?"

"We need your help. The students have questions we've never heard before. Would you mind answering them and performing some training demos?" Chase asked hopefully.

Donald got a warm feeling. He lived to hear those words. The billionaire smiled. "Absolutely. I wouldn't leave you guys to do all the work."

"Thanks, Mr. Davenport," Adam said gratefully. The mentors then jogged back into the training area.

"Well, it looks like they need you after all," Leo smiled.

"Yea," Donald said thoughtfully. "I guess that no matter how grown up and mature they become, they'll always be my little students."

* * *

 **Awwww! All's well that ends well! So sweet :) Looks like the kids needed Donald after all.**

 **I hope that those flashbacks were realistic. They were so much fun to write! Turns out, one of my favorite writing topics is Donald bonding with the Little Lab Rats. The flashbacks came out great. So, which was your favorite? Did anyone notice the reference to "Chip Switch" that I put in Adam's flashback?**

 **Random Fact: Remember that long speech young Chase made about a sprained ankle? In Bree's flashback? I copy-and-pasted a few sentences from Wikipedia and combined it with some Google info. I knew practically nothing about what happens when you sprain your ankle, so I researched. Either way, those lines are factual. Don't you just love the Internet? It seemed fitting for Chase, with his bionic intelligence, to say something like that. Although he was young, that just seemed to fit his mold (that's an expression, right?)**

 **Well, that's all for now. See you next time!**


End file.
